


When the Kingdom Falls

by xspiritofthemapleleaf



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: King Michael AU, M/M, When the Kingdom Falls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-30
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-03 07:42:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1067840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xspiritofthemapleleaf/pseuds/xspiritofthemapleleaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The rich kingdom of Achievement City has never been more plentiful thanks to newly crowned King Michael, who rules with force and justice. Together with the Council of Past Kings, a wise carpenter, and his jester and lifelong friend, nothing seems to stand in their way—until the entire East Village is wiped out. Now, with a faceless foe threatening war, Michael must choose to act, and fast, before his kingdom falls. But how can he when he can no longer trust the very people who led him into power?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Begin Stanza

**Author's Note:**

> I love me a good King AU.

When Michael awoke that morning his bed was cold.

He shivered, pulling the covers closer to his body and reaching towards the opposite side of the bed, feeling for the body of warmth that was always next to him. When his fingers touched the empty sheets his heart skipped a beat.  
The king sat up wearily. In the darkness of the drawn curtains he could dimly make out the lack of person next to him. He sighed, rubbing his eyes and deciding now was the best time to get up anyways.

Michael pushed the heavy curtains that surrounded his bed aside and winced as the morning sunlight assaulted his eyes. He reached for his glasses on the nightstand, placed them on, and blinked as the world went into focus.

His chambers were empty, of course. The stone walls gave the room a slight chill, and the fireplace was filled with red embers. The fire had gone out.

Michael muttered a curse to himself.

He dressed quickly, wearing simple orange leather and well-welded armor. He tied on his belt and scabbard, complete with the king’s sword. He snapped his king’s robe over it, a sharp royal blue. Michael wasn’t one for long and heavy attire like a traditional king. He preferred to function normally in his clothing, like any one of his subjects.

Still, the crown was nice. He held it in his hands for a moment, a heavy golden ringlet with large blue jewels that sparkled when they moved. He put it on gently, allowing it to flatten his curls and rest comfortably on his head.

The king emerged from his chambers, only to almost immediately run into a taller, more built character with an impressive ruddy beard.

“Sorry,” Jack smiled down at him, wearing the clothes of a nobleman. He took a step back and bowed. “Good morning, my liege. Breakfast is ready if you are, sir.”

Michael nodded, and Jack stood back up. “Thanks. Have you seen Gavin?”

Jack shook his head. “No I haven’t. I thought he was with you, like every morning. You two have been quite the company.” A gleam entered his eyes. Jack, though he had never been a king, had wisdom far beyond his years. Unfortunately for Michael, he was a bit more perceptive than the others.

“You know I have to keep an eye on him,” Michael answered coolly, ignoring the rising heat of his cheeks. It was no secret that as of late that the court jester had been spending nights in the king’s bedroom. Still, Michael preferred not to discuss his relationship with Gavin to the public yet, since thoughts had been spoken about it.

“I’m sure, sir.” Jack smiled again, a light chuckle escaping his lips. He gave a short bow before continuing down the stone halls. Michael smirked at his back. He was far more than thankful for Jack. The former carpenter was part of the reason his castle didn’t fall apart by the seams.

Michael walked down a staircase and took a door to the left, entering the castle’s busy kitchen. The aroma of meats and soups filled his nose. Pots and pans clashed with other as servants cut vegetables, plucked various birds, and ran about.

Among the many servants bustling about he spotted Geoff. The nobleman was busy stirring a large pot while explaining to a nervous-looking servant what to do. His eyes caught Michael and he excused himself, heading towards him. He bowed slightly and began to speak. “My liege, breakfast is almost ready—“

Michael cut him off. “Thanks Geoff, but you know I won’t eat until you guys do.” He always had this argument with the former king.

Geoff shook his head, but he was smiling. “You never liked the traditions, did you?” The older man remarked with a chuckle.

Michael shrugged. “Have you seen Gavin?”

Geoff frowned at the mention of the man. “No. Why?”

Michael adjusted the crown on his head, trying not to appear embarrassed. “I don’t know where he is,” he spoke carefully.

The smile Geoff gave him made him want to punch something. “Maybe he’s with Ray again. You should check the rose garden.” He gave him a knowing look.

Michael rolled his eyes. “Thanks,” he muttered.

Geoff gave a curt bow before disappearing off into the kitchen once more.

Michael sighed, half-wishing he had checked with someone else before Geoff. The First King had a soft spot for Gavin, and always knew something Michael didn’t know. That also meant he was hyper aware of what was going on. Damn him.

He began the small trek to the rose garden, created during King Ray’s reign. Michael didn’t have the heart to destroy it when he became king. Ray loved that garden more than he did his own health.

He turned a corner into a long hallway. Across it walked a tall, broad-shouldered man dressed in nobleman clothes. As he neared the king he bowed stiffly.

Michael waved his hand and the man stood. “Morning, Ryan.”

“My king.” Ryan nodded, smiling warmly. The older man was the second king, the Mad King, as the people referred to his rule. Sometimes Michael could forget that behind this cheerful face was a man who struck fear into the entire kingdom for years. As a former king, he had a rightful position on the Council and therefore was a member of this castle. But Michael often wondered if that was a correct decision.

He pushed all these thoughts aside and instead decided to have a normal conversation. “How was your trip to the Altar?”

“Pleasant as always, my lord. Thank you for asking.” Ryan answered swiftly. His eyes moved to the other hallway, and Michael nodded, dismissing the nobleman. Michael was never quite sure what Ryan did at his monthly visits to the Altar, a large pyramid south of the kingdom, and frankly, he didn’t want to. That man once entrapped a cow for weeks in a hole. Who knew what else he was capable of?

As he neared the garden, Michael decided to forget about it.

The rose gardens were not ground level, but more of an elevated courtyard towards the middle of the castle. Tall walls surrounded each part of it, but that never stopped the beautiful red roses from blooming.

He heard their voices before he saw them. Michael tried to ignore the pounding of his heart as he recognized one of them to be Gavin’s.

“Be careful! I swear to fuck if you mess one up—“ A voice that reminded Michael of soft drum echoed off the walls.

“I’m doing it just like you!” An accented voice answered in a whine.

Michael rolled his eyes as he spotted Ray and Gavin hunched over a rosebush, using shears to cut off the prettiest flowers.

“You’re using the wrong edge of the blade.” Ray told Gavin, suppressing a smirk as he turned the shears in Gavin’s hands.

“Oh,” was all Gavin said, face reddening.

Michael couldn’t help but laugh. “You dumb fuck.”

Ray and Gavin stood up immediately at the sight of their king. They both bowed. Michael nodded, and they relaxed.

“Your highness!” Gavin chirped, smile contagious. He shifted restlessly in his golden boots, made to look like a jester’s. Michael had those specially made for Gavin as joke, but was surprised when Gavin took a liking to them. Now he wore them everywhere, even with his many shades of green he had grown accustomed to.

“Good morning, your kingliness. You’re up a little early.” Ray noted, the former king clutching a rose in his hands. He wore armor nearly identical to Michael’s, except a bit more extravagant with shades of red worked in.

Michael nodded at him. “Well, I had someone missing this morning.” He turned towards Gavin. “Gavin, where’d you go?”

Gavin smiled sheepishly. “I promised to help Ray prune his rose garden. Sorry about that.” He twiddled his thumbs.

With Gavin standing there, a small smile on his lips and a slight blush to his face, it took all of Michael’s willpower not to grab him and kiss him right there. Instead he smiled back and gave Gavin’s shoulder a light squeeze. “It’s fine. Come on. Breakfast is ready.”

The grin he got back made it all worth it.


	2. When the Kingdom Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rich kingdom of Achievement City has never been more plentiful thanks to newly crowned King Michael, who rules with force and justice. Together with the Council of Past Kings, a wise carpenter, and his jester and lifelong friend, nothing seems to stand in their way—until the entire East Village is wiped out. Now, with a faceless foe threatening war, Michael must choose to act, and fast, before his kingdom falls. But how can he when he can no longer trust the very people who led him into power?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to update every Saturday. Thanks for reading!

Breakfast was freshly baked bread drizzled with butter, paired with fresh fruits straight from the market. A pitcher of wine sat proudly in the center. Michael kindly thanked the servants and Geoff, before they dug in. After a moment of nothing but the sound of swallowing, Michael sat back in a pause. “How’s the Northern stretch?” he asked Jack, taking a drink of his wine.

Jack nodded from the left side of the table. “Much better, my king. They’ve received the reinforcements and will no longer be terrorized by the skeletons.” He smiled at the end of this, clearly pleased. Jack’s wife lived only a few miles from the Northern Stretch, and spoke of her often.

Michael nodded back. “Good.” He looked at Ryan across from him, who was biting into an apple. “And anything to relay about your travels to the Altar, Ryan?”

Ryan swallowed before answering, “All is well, my liege. Nothing to report.” There was a flash to Ryan’s eyes, like he had something to speak about but refused to talk. Michael stared back for a second before dismissing the thought.

“Mich—my king,” Gavin began, catching himself, “do you think we can get another horse?”

A chorus of groans chimed from the other men in the room. When Gavin asked for another of anything, it usually—no, _definitely_ meant that something had happened to the first one.

“What happened to Grisham?” Ray asked, grin on his face in anticipation of the answer.

Gavin bit his lip and smiled sheepishly. “I...I might’ve left the stable door open.”

Michael rolled his eyes as the dining hall erupted into laughter. Gavin shot a fake pout in Michael’s direction, pretending to be hurt.

The room dissolved into side conversations, mostly jokes at Gavin’s expense. While the others were talking Michael grabbed the jester’s hand and squeezed it lightly. “We’ll get you another one,” Michael promised quietly. Gavin’s face immediately lit up.

Out of the corner of his eye Michael spotted Caleb enter the room. The messenger caught his eye and bowed quickly before moving to speak with Jack.

“Michael,” Gavin called softly. “Can we do something today?”

The king glanced at Gavin, smiling. “Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Whatever. Let’s just go somewhere.” Gavin bounced in his seat.

Michael would’ve loved to tell him yes, but his mind was focused on Caleb, who was whispering into Jack’s ear. As he spoke, Jack’s smile quickly faded.

Michael frowned, not liking his expression. To his right Gavin caught sight and frowned with him. 

Jack leaned towards Geoff, and appeared to relay the message. Geoff coughed abruptly, the wine he was drinking having trouble going down his windpipe.

Only Ray was speaking now, apparently talking to Ryan about his rose garden. When he noticed the sudden silence of the room the Rose King’s voice faded away.

Everyone looked at Geoff expectantly.

“Your highness,” Geoff spoke softly.

“You can drop the formalities, Geoff. Really.” Michael said with a tight smile. Something didn’t feel right.

“There’s something we need to discuss.” Jack spoke up, wincing. It wasn’t like him to speak out of turn, especially since he was technically ranked lower than everyone else but Gavin. But no one questioned him.

Geoff shook his head. “We shouldn’t. Not now, Jack.” His eyes seemed to shift to Michael’s right.

“What? What is it?” Michael asked, throat tightening. He glanced at Ryan and Ray, who exchanged puzzled looks.

Geoff bit his lip before responding. “We should call a meeting of the Council. Let’s not talk about it while we’re eating.” He dismissed it, waving his hand.

“The king needs to be informed,” Jack argued. Geoff glared at him. 

“I’m right here! Just tell me,” Michael protested.

Geoff and Jack ignored him, a silent battle happening between them. Finally Jack dropped his stare, and turned towards the king.  “You should call a meeting of the Council, my king. Immediately after this.” His gaze flitted towards Gavin.

Gavin flinched, now realizing all eyes were on him. “What?” he scoffed.

_A meeting of the Council._ Michael hadn’t called for a meeting in months. He preferred not to, considering how bad some situations had to be in order to call for one.

Why should he though? Everyone who would be at the meeting was there right now. Only difference was Gavin.

Michael looked again at the jester, who was shifting uncomfortably under the many gazes. Despite the unwanted attention he still smiled hesitantly.

And Michael understood.

“Jack, clear the table,” he ordered suddenly.

“Yes, my liege,” Jack responded automatically. He grabbed a few plates and called for other servants. Michael sighed, adjusting his crown on his head. He glanced a Gavin, feeling a little guilty.

Then the king cleared his throat. “This Council begins in five minutes.”

….

The meeting of the Council of Past Kings was originally thought of by the First King, who found that running a kingdom was actually pretty difficult. As each king came into the rule, the former ruler became a member of the Council forever. They were to advise the future kings whenever needed.

 Michael supposed he was lucky; he had three experienced people to talk to, all with their own different ideals.  Geoff, the First King and creator of the kingdom, had ruled with an iron fist and let hard work govern his people. Then came Ryan, the infamous Mad King who struck terror in the hearts of enemies and subjects alike, who ruled with fear and rationalism. Although Michael didn’t agree with his ideas, he had to admit it was the most successful. And finally came Ray, the Rose King, who ruled with next to no force, and solved the kingdom’s problems in a more outgoing and pleasant way.

Sometimes Michael wondered what kind of king he would be remembered as. He’d heard murmurs of his subjects calling him the Warrior King, who ruled with passion and fierce bravery. If that was what he’d be remembered for, then Michael wasn’t going to complain.

Anyways, to call a meeting meant that something had gone wrong, something to be discussed that the court didn’t wish for the public to know yet. And Michael felt an ache in his chest because of it.

 Not, it seemed, as much as what Gavin was feeling.

Right now the jester leaned against one of the walls of the dining hall, arms crossed over his chest and a slight scowl on his face. The expression looked alien on the always-smiling man, and Michael didn’t like it.

He knew why he was grieving. The idiot did it every time, like a kid throwing a tantrum. This wouldn’t end well.

He approached Gavin, going for a smile. “Hey, Gavin…”

“Why can’t I stay?” Gavin grumbled, straight to the point.

Michael sighed, tired of the usual argument. “Because you’re not a king, Gav. Not yet.” It was the rule, one of the few laws that not even a king could break.

“Neither is Jack,” Gavin shot back.

“Jack only relays the information, Gavin. Unless asked, he does not get to speak.” Michael let his frustration leak through his voice, now louder.

Gavin gave him a look of disbelief. “But he gets to listen! Michael—“

“I’m sorry, Gavin! Those are the rules,” Michael replied, struggling to keep his voice level.

“Well, you’re the king! Change them!” Gavin snapped.

Michael scoffed. “You know I can’t do that.”

“Bunch of rubbish, if you ask me.” Gavin said slowly, an edge to his voice.

Michael’s jaw tightened.

To dare question the king’s rules, _any_ king’s rules, was considered treason. Even a simple remark like Gavin’s was punishable by branding, exile, or even death.

Judging by the hard look on the jester’s face, Gavin knew this.

_Gavin was challenging Michael._

 Michael stepped back, struggling to control his anger. “Go to the throne room, Gavin,” he commanded, voice deadly calm.

“But—“

“That is an order.” Michael wasn’t going to take this, not now.

Gavin cast his eyes down. He bowed slowly and exited with a fast pace.

….

“Let the meeting of the Council of Past Kings begin,” Geoff stated, nodding towards Michael. The five bodies sat in the dining hall, the table now clear of breakfast. Michael however was standing, anxious to hear what news needed to be told.

Michael looked towards the carpenter. “Jack. If you will.”

Jack stood, clearing his throat. “We’ve received word on an incident that occurred yesterday, my king.”

Michael leaned against the table. “And?”

Geoff gestured towards Michael’s chair. “Maybe you should sit down, your highness.” His expression was somber.

Michael felt his throat tighten. “Just tell me. I can handle it, whatever it is.”

Jack reluctantly nodded. He took a breath before speaking. “It’s the Eastern Village.”

From the right of Michael Ray made a face. Ryan frowned.

Michael shook his head. He must’ve heard them wrong, right? “What? The Eastern Village? They’re untouchable. They should be. I personally made sure of it.” He reassured himself. The Eastern Village had at one point been the most vulnerable section of the kingdom. At least, until he met Gavin. The jester had grew up in the area, and refused to live at the castle unless it was well protected. So Michael decided to change that, building a twenty foot stone wall around the entire village. It was impenetrable.

Or so he thought.

“We know,” Jack spoke quietly.

Michael pounded the table in front of him in frustration. “Then what? We’ll go immediately. Whatever it is, I’ll fucking gut it with my sword,” he promised.

Geoff bowed his head. Jack spoke again, voice gentle. “You can’t.”

“Why not?” Michael nearly roared.

He saw the expression of Jack’s face, and his heart nearly stopped. It was a look of something beyond sadness, of grief and pity.

There was a reason why they wanted a meeting of the Council. They wanted Gavin gone, away from the horrible message he was about to hear.

They wanted Gavin gone because his hometown was gone.

As the thought hit him, he barely heard the words Jack spoke next. The words that would change his reign forever.

“Because the Eastern Village is no more.”


End file.
